A Sundry of Snippets
by gigiree123
Summary: A collection of scrapped writings and pieces from Reluctant and Descriptions, just for fun. NaruHina of course.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is actually a deleted scene from Reluctant. I thought it was too OOC and mean spirited, but still it was slightly more fun than the scene from chapter 19, a lighter tone. Location: Kusagakure, alternate storyline of reluctant.**

**Fire**

Naruto gave a slide glance to his taciturn companion. Her tiny mouth was pressed into a thin line, pale eyes staring straight ahead and impassive. She continued to stare out towards the street and up at the lanterns, pointedly avoiding a conversation.

She was still angry.

He sighed. Since Ino and Shino had intel duty and were currently stuck in the ancient records crypt, he and Hinata were left alone to "guard" the festivities. Besides as future Hokage and an ambassador, they could not appear to be anything but neutral and respectful. Even if they had conditional permission to look at those records, they would not go read them.

He tried to break the silence, not used to extended periods of not speaking, especially to his friends. He grinned cheekily. "Sooo…it's nice weather huh?"

A pause and Hinata shifted slightly, the red of the lanterns making the highlights in her hair appear violet. "Yes, it is Naruto-san."

"Are you hungry?"

"I am fine, thank you." She answered, distant and polite. Her tone was lilting, but there was something off. The cadence was wrong.

He knitted his brows in confusion. How could he notice the nuances of her voice? Was he really that aware of her? He had never seen her so angry as when they had argued, her veiled messages hitting him and dawning upon him seconds after she had already moved on to her next accusation. He then realized that was where Hinata's strength lay; in quiet, well thought out and creative belligerence.

It was also her weakness. He felt as if she had not said everything, she held back. And he wanted to see her let go. Completely and utterly shout and become red till she could fight no more. She never spoke up about how she felt, always resorting to facts and morality and silent threats.

She didn't even look like a normal angry person. Her eyes would flash a hint of silver, but it was subdued and beautifully controlled. He wanted to see fire in her gaze, not just cold steel.

That part of her had not changed.

He stood up from the stone steps in front of the temple and brushed off his pants. His eyes flared cobalt and his large shadow loomed over the startled ambassador. The light of the lanterns menacingly lit up the deep planes of his visage and his grin seemed all the more frightening.

He knew what would set her off. Her weak point had been the apparent immorality of his past conquests. (At least the idea that those damn rumors had given her.) She hated his games. Well then, let her be the victim of his next play.

He then quickly reached for her small hand, pulling her up. Carefully, he maneuvered himself so that he was encroaching upon her space. (Her most prized position.) She was too startled to do much but squeak lightly. He gazed appreciatively at her dark clad form, purposely allowing his gaze to linger. She turned red, and her eyes widened.

"Naruto-san…" She said breathlessly, a spark of indignation and embarrassment alighting.

'Just a little more.' He thought. He was really close. He gave her a flirtatious grin, one that many had been charmed by. He tilted his head in an ever so fetching manner and his blond strands fell into his bright eyes.

She began to squirm, tugging her wrist out of his grip. "Let go."

He obliged, staring at her with a mischievous glow. "Hinata…"

His husky tone had her stopping, all thoughts disappearing. "Y-yes, Naruto-san?"

There it was; the trepidation and hesitation. He went in for the kill.

"If I said you had a nice body, would you hold it against me?"

The tiny ambassador's previous anger returned at full force, the audacity of her comrade shocking her. This was so crass, so rude especially after today's incident. And now she was stuck with a pervert of a future Hokage for whom she had once held a deep love. (Right now, her emotions were clouded, confused.) But now, the only clarity was her immense anger.

She shoved him away, surprisingly strong. Her cheeks turned red in vexation and infuriation. Her fists balled up at her sides. Naruto cheered internally, this is what he had wanted to see. To see her angry, to see her fight.

"You…you…." She sputtered, incoherent.

He waited, amused and his smug look incensed her more. She reached breaking point.

"You jackass!" She shouted; the rude word at odds with her gentle voice. She did not shriek like other kunoichi were wont to do, but the raised pitch and slightly louder volume were enough to convey her displeasure. More than enough actually.

She looked up at her future jackass Hokage, her brows knitted and her mouth small. And Naruto once again found himself struggling to breathe. Her eyes were no longer cold steel. They were not fire either.

They were stars.

"How dare you, you pretentious, utterly lecherous meanie!"

He was struck dumb, he had not been expecting this level of retribution, but then again he did not know what to expect when it came to this girl. Then he began to laugh; a full, throaty laugh that rocked his entire being. Mirth brought tears into his eyes, stopping the girl mid-tirade.

She realized she had been duped. And slightly hurt and ashamed at how easily she had fallen for it, she said the only thing she could.

"Go screw yourself Naruto-san."

He stopped, still chuckling slightly and answered. He grinned his signature foxy smirk. "You read my mind."

She had calmed down enough to realize what she had said, and blushed prettily. If you can't beat them, join them was her reasoning and then buried herself in deeper with…

"It was a short read anyway."

And promptly left her future Hokage, her indigo strands teasing his senses as she passed a stunned Naruto.


	2. The Hedgehog Dilemma

**Another From Reluctant. This was scrapped because the timeline does not fit the way the story is going now. In this first version of Reluctant, the main struggle for Naruto was learning how to support and balance his obligations with Hinata's insecurities. However, her injury reveal would have occurred much later down the line, after he had assumed the Hokage Hat.**

**The Hedgehog Dilemma**

"As future Hokage, I declare Hinata Hyuuga unable to continue in active ninja duty, due to her impaired Byakugan." Naruto said, with all the authority he could muster, fighting back feelings of turmoil. "This stands until further notice."

Team Eight stood speechless. Kiba's gaping mouth struggled to form a coherent argument or insult. Shino's form remained stock still, whether frozen in outrage or shock was not known. The only sign of his emotions being the increased buzzing of his insects.

"You bastard….TAKE THAT BACK!" growled out Kiba, finally getting out what he needed. "ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR FUCKING MIND?! "

Naruto ignored him, focusing instead on the girl in question.

Hinata searched the impassive gaze of the young man, looking for her kind boyfriend, but found nothing but the cold, professional demeanor of a Hokage. To cry would have been a boon, but she was so stunned, she could only stare blankly at him. She felt as if the world had fallen from beneath her, swallowing up all that she was into a black abyss. Her eyes widened to their limit, lilac depths exposing her very soul.

And for the first time in a long time, she fainted.

"Hinata!?"

"HINATA!"

Their cries broke out in concert. Naruto's Hokage mask broke in concern for his girlfriend, the expression across his face could only be termed absolute devastation. He leapt over his desk, reaching Hinata just before Kiba and held her still form in his arms, her beautiful hair draping gracefully over her.

"Let her go, you bastard." Kiba growled low and threatening, reaching for the girl.

And Naruto did nothing as Kiba wrenched her from his arms and gently carried her out the door, not looking at the still kneeling Hokage.

Shino was left, his insects still buzzing. He paused before exiting and turned to Naruto.

"Why could you not believe in her, the way she did you?"

And with that he left.

'_Did I do the right thing?'_


	3. Switched

**From Descriptions. Meant to be a typical body switch, but I felt it did not fit the tone of Descriptions, and so it was scrapped. Incomplete. **

**Warning: Some Sasusaku, for those that don't appreciate the pairing. **

**Switched**

Tsunade gazed at the three, her composure strained against the Herculean task of not laughing. Whatever she did, she must not laugh, no matter how ridiculous and unseemly their predicament was.

Ino Yamanaka shifted guiltily as she finished the explanation, pretty blue eyes darting from one victim to the other. And she almost laughed. Almost. Because really between the two of them, one had to look very hard to see any major differences in their behavior. Right?

Who was she kidding?

"I'm so sorry, you guys." Ino apologized breathlessly, her face turned away from the odd duo.

Sasuke gave a soft, hesitant smile and his eyes crinkled in acceptance, the blush never fading. His usually gruff voice was utterly gentle and as soft as the down feathers on a duckling's hiney. It sounded a little hoarse, as if his voice had never gone a pitch higher than D minor.

"I-It's okay, Ino."

"No. No it's not fucking **okay**, Hyuuga." Hinata's melodic voice spat out, the tone contrasting very oddly with her tinkling soprano. Thin brows knitted in annoyance as the effect of the complaint were dulled by the light tone. Was that the harshest these damn vocal cords were capable of? Tiny fists balled up in anger and teeth clenched and the balls of her feet began to sway back and forth with the effort of tiptoeing.

Tsunade snorted and as stares in shades of blue, icy lilac and now a tearful gray turned towards her, she cleared her throat. "So…Ino's communication jutsu went wrong, and now you two are in each other's bodies?"

Ino clamped her hands over her twitching mouth, and Sasuke-in-Hinata's Body twitched, feeling the infamous Hyuuga Byakugan activating. His vision turned to muted shades of color and he slowly felt the Hyuuga's blue chakra running down to her ridiculously tiny fists. He turned towards his fellow victim, surprised by her lack of anger. Then he stopped and nearly died, the shock of it all too much to bear.

Oh the indignity. It had been bad enough when he realized that that he had shrunk down to five foot and two inches. (Hence, the tiptoeing.) It had been bad enough when he had misjudged the distance his short legs could jump, nowhere near his original distance, and he fallen and choked on very long, useless indigo hair. It had been mortifying (so much so, that he contemplated just ending it all then and there), when he realized the first time he jumped that breasts bounced too.

But this, this was just too much.

He looked in disbelief as he saw himself, the stoic Sasuke Uchiha, sniffling and tears running down his chiseled face and cheeks red in sorrow. His fingers gripped the hem of his dark shirt and _his _beautiful baritone voice was reduced to a husky whisper. "I-I'm sorry. It's just that today is Valentine's Day and I-I had a date with Naruto-kun and-and the festival was today…"

Then the sobbing started and Sasuke panicked. It was bad enough that it was a girl crying, but her statement had made him realize that it was indeed Valentine's Day and oh shit- Sakura was going to kill him, or her, damn it.

He glared at Ino, and nearly rammed her through with his chakra coated fists. She blanched and squeaked, running to hide behind a dying Tsunade. Who knew Hinata-chan could look so scary?

Sasuke-in-Hinata's Body (SIHB) approached himself, gruffly grasping her, his shoulder. "Hey Hyuuga."

Hinata-in-Sasuke's body (HISB) looked down, eyes widening to ridiculous proportions. "Y-yes Sasuke-san?"

"We'll trade." Sasuke said bluntly, narrowed eyes of lavender narrowed in consternation.

"W-what?" Hinata asked, unused to looking down at anyone except small children and animals.

"We'll trade. You pretend to be me today, and I'll be you. I'll even go on your stupid date." He nearly threw up at the thought. A date with the idiot future Hokage.

"But-"

"Yamanaka!" Sasuke called, placing his hands on rounded hips. "24 Hours, right?"

"Yeah. It should wear off then." She answered, confused.

He turned to look back up at himself, and he crossed tiny arms, unaware of the fact that it only served to emphasize Hinata's voluptuous cleavage. "There. Twenty-four hours Hyuuga, I go with the idiot, and you go with Sakura."

And because Hinata could pick up cues very well, she saw that deeply buried beneath lavender irises of annoyance was an undercurrent of true worry. Sasuke wanted things to be perfect for his beau, and he was placing his faith in her to make things okay for the time being.

She nodded, long pale fingers fidgeting oddly. "Okay."

Tsunade nodded at the absurd arrangement, glad that things would resolve themselves. Ino sighed, somewhat relieved that she hadn't been eviscerated yet by tiny Hyuuga attacks. They braced themselves for a day of fun.

It was then that Sasuke's body began to do a little jig, shifting from one foot to the other. Everyone turned questioningly to Hinata. SIHB nearly died again.

"Hyuuga, when was the last time you peed?" He asked.

"Not since I was me." She squeaked as best she could. Ino blushed, aware of the implications and Tsunade promptly left the room, her guffaws murdering her Hokage composure within seconds of leaving.

Hinata followed suit, nearly sprinting to the bathroom. Needless to say, the feminine screams of horror emanating from Hokage tower were like nothing ever heard before.

* * *

Naruto nearly skipped down the street, nodding graciously and waving enthusiastically at all who greeted him. He was going to meet Hinata for a Valentine's lunch and then a date at the February festival. He had even worn a brand new black shirt and a new pair of orange pants. His hair had been left as was, because he knew that Hina-chan secretly adored his bed head. He had so much planned for today, and because it was ten months since they had started dating and since he had been named Hokage successor, he felt it should be a very special celebration.

And he was glad; moreso than he had been in a very long time. Since kissing Hinata that day in the field, his life had been all the more complete, and every moment spent with her cute adorable self made him even more in lo- He winced, still unable to say the word. Even in his own thoughts, he found it difficult to say anything, because he just could not wrap his mind around it.

All his life, he had struggled, fought tooth and nail simply to receive acknowledgment and respect. But his Hinata( amazing, dedicated Hinata) gave it away like nothing. He hadn't even had to work for it, and it had been there the whole time. Suffice to say, once he had gotten a taste, it would be hard for him to let it go. And it scared him, because he knew that if he gave away his own love, and was rejected, that it would break him.

So that was why he adored and admired her, because she was so brave. So brave to simply give away a piece of herself to those she cared for, not just him. It seemed that every person she met, who really got to know her, came to care for her in return; because she gave them a piece of herself every time. She told him he was like that too, even more than she.

He had stuck out his tongue, saying she was being nice.

But today, he hoped that could all change. That maybe today he could finally tell her.

His heart beat fast as he approached Ichiraku's stand, indigo hair glistening like raven's feathers in the sunlight. Her back was to him, and she was speaking quietly with Ayame at the stand. He frowned slightly, seeing as she was still dressed in her mission attire, flak jacket and all. (She was usually good at dressing up for dates, but she looked beautiful regardless.)

"Oi Hinata!" He shouted happily, running to close the distance between them.

Ayame who had a full view of her favorite customer's girlfriend tilted her head. Hinata would usually smile brilliantly and a light blush would dust her cheeks. Instead, the girl winced slightly and a slight frown marred her delicate features. Come to think of it, she had been awfully taciturn today. Maybe they had had a fight?

She continued to observe.

"Naruto." Hinata greeted flatly, and waved awkwardly. Eyes narrowed as the blonde continued jabbering on and on about how pretty she looked and how excited he was.

'_Damn it, how does Hyuuga put with this on a regular basis?'_


	4. Something Unexpected

**Another random cut from Reluctant...I just thought it would have been fun to have Hinata ride a motorcyle, for once. Just something she picked up on her five year journey. Scrapped because it felt out of place in the story. She does have another talent, but it's shown later on. But ahh, just imagine the fun of cross country traveling on a motorcycle, nothing but you and the open road...that was what I was thinking as I imagined Narumi's bike-something like the HondaCB750 to be precise...concept of Naruto world and motorcycle not impractical actually. The pilot one shot had Naruto riding one, and that's why his initial design had goggles- a remnant of his start.**

**Something Unexpected**

It hadn't always been so dark. No…for a long while, it had been soul aching bright and free. After Tenten had gone and marked her own mission as finished, Hinata had gone on. That first step out of the city and into the wild unkempt path had been bliss. That first mile of travel had been freedom. That first breath of air had been indescribable. She felt so small and light, as if she were travelling on the tips of her toes, feet barely grazing the tall grass and the sky had been so, so blue. And so she had stretched her tiny hand towards the clouds, slim fingers itching to touch what she felt she could. That had been the wonderful joy of being an ambassador.

Oh she was still tied to her beloved Konoha; the emblem around her neck and woven into her vest never ceased to remind her of that. But it was a pleasant type of bond, not so constricting, not so suffocating. It felt more now like a light tap on the head, a soft reminder of someone she fondly remembered, someone she thought she knew so well, that she could speak on their behalf.

The ability to explore, to see and fine different facets of the world and herself was something she treasured. She traveled through the countries, completing assignments, weaving pretty words and sincere promises that she knew Konoha would wholeheartedly support. And little by little, the ache she had felt as she left, the raw hole where the absence of her precious people had ripped through, stopped hurting so much. Eventually it became a dull throbbing sensation, always present, but bearable.

"Hinata?" Naruto asked questioningly as she circled the strange bike looking thing. Her eyes seemed to shine at the sight of the flawless black paint and she reverently traced the bulky lines with soft fingers. She bit her lip in indecision, and Naruto stifled a groan at the sight. He was beginning to be jealous of an inanimate object.

She hummed a quiet reply, not quite all there. And his breath hitched as she suddenly turned towards him, a bright smile on her face and an underlying assuredness in herself shining through.

"Do you want to go for a ride, Naruto-kun?"

He gulped, unsure as to whether he trusted the strange contraption or the even stranger girl in front of him.

"Is it safe?" He whispered, and she laughed heartily.

* * *

_Hinata eyed the contraption warily, twirling a strand of inky straight her nervously. She tugged at her green jacket, making sure that her pockets held some form of identification, just in case._

"_I-Is it safe?" She asked hesitantly and the girl simply laughed and handed her the white helmet._

_Hinata grasped it in her trembling hands and caressed the smooth surface. She frowned when she noticed there was no protection in the front. _

"_Will I not get things caught in my face at such high speeds?"_

_Narumi fluffed her auburn hair, green eyes glinting mischievously. "You worry too much Hinata-chan."_

_Then out from the pocket of her brown leather jacket, she pulled a pair of gaudy goggles. For a second Hinata's heart leapt, because at the sight of the silly little things, she remembered a boy with sunshine hair and goggles adorning his head. She remembered a lonely boy whose wonderfully silly goggles were just a placeholder for his bigger dreams, and yet it was nostalgic. It was a reminder of innocence and time past and a love so constant, that even now she still felt its white-hot grip grasping at her chest._

_She felt the tears sting her eyes and quickly blinked them away, holding out a trembling hand for the lenses._

"_Are you alright Hinata-chan?" Narumi asked worriedly, her brow creased._

_Hinata nodded quickly, her hair flying to and fro in an attempt to hide her emotion. "I'm fine!"_

_Narumi gave her one last disbelieving look before beginning instruction. "Okaay then…let's start."_

_Hinata nodded, looking warily at the motorcycle. It was a cute little thing, with bulky lines and a single oversized headlight taking up most of the front. The seat was cushiony and the motor and pipes were polished to shining silver. The rest of the body was painted a sea green, Narumi's favorite color._

_Narumi's quiet instruction hummed through Hinata's head pleasantly, and she found herself lulled into calm by the soft tempo of her friend's droning and the gentle breeze dancing through the grass. _

"_Hinata-chan? Did you get all that?" Narumi asked._


	5. Words Get in the Way

**A/n:Take note...this is a scrapped scene from Reluctant and their confession will be very different from this.**

**Words Get in the Way**

Naruto seethed inwardly, knocking back another shot of the Fire Daimyo's special concoction. He refused to look back past the heavy oaken door propped open, because then he would see _them._ The Daimyo's eldest arm in arm with a Hyuuga, the Hyuuga heiress to be precise.

"_What a beautiful couple."_

"_It's a perfect match, the Hyuuga princess with the Golden Prince."_

"_The influence the Hyuuga will hold will be unparalleled."_

That prissy prince holding _his _Hinata. He frowned, reminding himself that she was no longer his. Had she ever been his to start with? He had never really been hers, and five years ago, when he had come so close, so close to being hers, she let him go.

* * *

The cold light of the full moon cast her into an interesting contrast of light and shadow. The gossamer folds of her dress trailed after as she gracefully stepped across the pond's still surface. And Naruto could not help but call out to her.

"Hinata…"

Wide eyed and confused, he watched as her elegant neck turned at warp speed to find the source of her name. She stopped in the middle, ripples extending towards the edges of the water, as if searching for something. She stilled as she saw him. There stood Her Hokage in all his glory, the white and red of his formal robes framing him beautifully. The light of the moon was far too weak, in her opinion, to do him justice.

The slightest breeze blew through the fragrant garden, almost pushing her in his direction. And she impulsively chose to follow its direction, one pale foot in front of the other as she walked towards him. Her face was inscrutable, half shaded by the night. She ended in front of him, missing the coolness of the water, her toes digging into the soft, white sand.

He looked and wondered how a piece of the night sky could be so close as to be touched and yet be so far out of reach. He wanted to remove the pins in her hair so it could flow freely, as free as he longed for her to be. He wanted to hold her so she would know she was safe, as safe as she made him feel. He wanted to kiss her senseless and shout his earlier epiphany to her. But he could not, because she was not his. Not anymore.

"Naruto?"

He smiled, wondering when the honorific had been dropped, wondering when they had become friends again.

When he did not speak, she swallowed her nervousness, hoping to continue the conversation. She tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ear, only for more of the same to slip from her bun and fall into her face. She huffed, slightly embarrassed and her gaze turned towards the ground.

Then lightest sensation graced her temple, and the heat rushed to her face as she realized that Naruto was tucking back the rest of the hair back. She shivered at the sensation of calloused fingers running across her skin, behind her ear. Then she turned redder, realizing what an unladylike thought had crossed her mind at the touch.

She gazed up at him, trying desperately to read his gaze, and then she felt warmth as his hand grasped her bare back, and his eyes…oh they were such luminous blue fire that she felt herself fall into the sand as ash and her heart incinerate itself in her emotion.

Naruto could not help but notice the way her lips parted and he grit his teeth, knowing that now was the time to say what he needed to, because after this, there were no more chances, no more shots to take or kisses to steal.

Hinata saw the state of turmoil in his gaze, and she asked hesitantly, anticipation curling in her chest.

"Naruto…kun?"

And that return of his suffix, he felt himself become complete and the words that needed to be said, fell out in neat pieces.

"Hinata, don't go…not with him." He said in earnest, his voice low and she could barely make it out over the din of the continuing festivities.

She was stunned. Their…relationship…friendship or whatever they were, had become so convoluted and pitted and strange, that this new phase was scaring her. Because she knew that whatever happened tonight, it would change what was between them permanently. The tears welled up, and she felt the unfairness of it all burning her, pushing her fragile emotions into a maelstrom of feelings.

"After five years!? Five years and now you say something like that?" She shouted, the tears falling now, and she was still very aware of his hand on her back and his body only inches from hers.

His brows furrowed in confusion, the vulnerability of his request having made him sensitive enough, that he opened his mouth to protest, but she cut him off.

She looked up at him, eyes shining. "I know…I know it was my fault and that I was the one who left. But so many times, I wished and prayed and hoped that you would come looking for me. I was being selfish, but I just thought you would have come after me."

Then she dropped her gaze, a bittersweet smile gracing her face and she pulled his hands from behind her. She gently grasped with both her own and muttered.

"But I guess it's simply too late for wishful thinking."

Naruto's stomach dropped and he began to panic, he felt her slipping away to some where he could not reach her. He felt the chains of this city ensnaring her, tangling her slim form in their clutches and he felt angry because she was just giving in. Had she not told him she loved him? Had she not promised to stay by his side?

She just needed a little reminder, because that was not her ninja way. That was not _their _ninja way.

His hand slipped from hers and he gripped her shoulder, the other hand grasping her chin a little too roughly, and tilting it up to look at him. His mouth tightened and he could see her sinking behind her steel doors and the burden of her lies.

'_Don't you dare fade away.' _His eyes seemed to say, and she found herself feeling lighter than she had in a long time. And Naruto saw a glimmer of a breakthrough in her starry eyes, so he gulped and took the plunge to lead her off the precipice; to show her how to fly freely.

"Stay by my side." He asked softly.

The tears pooled in her eyes and fell over, her lips trembled, and he feared the answer.

So he finished it. "Stay by my side…**because I love you**."

The slight nod of her head was all it took, and he knew that the he was hers and she was his.

"Na-"

Her words were swallowed in a kiss; lips meeting in a gesture more meaningful than any words could have been at the moment. And as his hands ran through her now unbound hair, and she heard the _click clack _of her hairpins falling to the ground, she felt _free_.


End file.
